


Highways Jammed with Broken Heroes

by swedishstylepatrol



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Basketball, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Merlin Ensemble - Freeform, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-15 08:54:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14787378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swedishstylepatrol/pseuds/swedishstylepatrol
Summary: Arthur has graduated and Lance is now the captain. With the loss of Camelot Academy's prodigal point guard, Coach has tasked Lance on finding the varsity team a new point guard. Lance knows he's found him--the new transfer from Darkling Prep, but it's not an easy recruitment. Gwaine is adamant on not playing.





	1. Chapter 1

The headmaster’s welcome-to-the-new-year address is the same as it has been for the first six years Lance has been at Camelot Academy so it’s no surprise when Dr. Kilgarrah takes his place behind the dais and clears his throat and starts his speech with:

 

“You’re here for one of three reasons: you’re academically inclined, you’re athletically gifted, or your father bought your place here.” 

 

Some kids snicker near the front of the auditorium. Second years, Lance guesses, laughing at how they’ve heard this speech last year. By the third year, it’s just routine. It’s a good speech; maybe that why Dr. Kilgarrah repeats it again and again. 

 

“Some of you will be offended by this statement. Some of you will not care. Here’s a task for you this year, for those who are offended: prove to me that I am wrong. Prove you belong here for reasons beyond one of these three. Now on a lighter note, I would like to extend a congratulations to the men’s varsity basketball team once again for bringing home the championship last year.” The students clap (the athletically gifted ones louder than the others, obviously).

 

Gwen nudges Lance and smiles at him as Dr. K lets the applause go on. Then he puts his hand up and they acquiesce immediately. Pleased, Dr. K goes on to say: “This year, Camelot Academy is pleased to share our resources with Darkling Preparatory. Their students are being transferred here this year due to an unfortunate incident. Some of you might have heard the news this summer. Darkling Preparatory was decimated by flood water and while it undergoes reconstruction, let us welcome their students to our hallways and classrooms. Reminder we have a zero tolerance policy here.” The last part he says icily. 

 

Darkling Prep is close to the river so it would make sense that the torrential rains this summer would damage the school. Darkling Prep has a reputation. Lance doesn’t know anyone from that school but the guys from the team and most of the student body love gossiping about them. Their headmistress is an aging woman who lets them get away with anything, and so consequently, the students receive more leniency and act accordingly. 

 

At Camelot Academy, you aren’t even allowed to bring anything incriminating to school but Lance heard that at Darkling Prep, students would smoke under the bleachers or the washrooms. The teachers don’t even care apparently. There’s a rumour that one of them even fucked one of the students which Lance wishes doesn’t have any stock in it because that’s just all kinds of fucked up. The students there are rowdy and vulgar but Lance doesn’t want to judge them simply by what people have said. 

 

Once the headmaster has dismissed them from the auditorium, they have ten minutes to get to their first class of the day. Lance has chemistry (which is boring) but Gwen’s in his class so it isn’t all bad. She slinks her arm through his as soon as they stand up from their seats in the auditorium. The exit is tidy and fashionable; the teachers are staring at them as if the students were prisoners and the teachers correction officers. Once they’re free, Gwen starts chatting in his ear. 

 

“I heard the dorms are all doubled up because of the Darkling students. My brother says him and Percy are getting two new roommates. They have less space now but they’re excited about getting bunk beds.” Gwen laughs and Lance mirrors her. Lance doesn’t live on campus; it’s too expensive and irrational when his parents’ house is just three blocks away. Gwen lives off campus with Morgana and doesn’t have to deal with the dorm situation, but she still has a part-time job because she refuses to let Morgana pay the rent and utilities. Even though Morgana Pendragon’s got money coming out of her… well, she’s got money and lots of it. Morgana goes to Camelot University now but her and Gwen still share an apartment.

 

“That doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe they’ll make friends with them.” Gwen squeezes his arm.

 

“Lancey, always the optimist. Good for you. Has coach talked to you, yet?”

 

Right. Lance shakes his head, “When I have spare.”

 

Gwen smiles, “She’s making you captain. I just know it!” 

 

Lance has the same feeling. Ever since Arthur graduated this spring, Lance has been half-dreading coming back to school. Mostly because he knows Arthur was passing down the torch to him, and mostly because he knows with half the seniors from last year gone, he’s got to help rebuild the team. Without Arthur and Leon, and Lionel opting to play football this year instead of basketball, well, they’re kind of fucked. They barely won last year. It was only the sheer force of will and pressure that they managed to win the championship. If it wasn’t for Arthur, they would’ve sunk bad.

 

Chemistry goes as well as Lance thought it was going to.

 

Math goes as well as Lance expected it to.

 

English is easy; Lance has always been a good reader/writer. 

 

And then, finally the bell rings for lunch time. His locker is at the other end of the hallway though so he walks briskly, trying to avoid everyone else. His mom makes lunch for him so he doesn’t have to buy cafeteria food which is either overpriced or unhealthy. And Lance is on an athlete’s diet so he needs certain kinds of food, not just a bowl of poutine or a slice of pizza.

 

The cafeteria is packed but there’s a table reserved for the seniors, specifically for the varsity team so he isn’t worried about finding a seat. Elyan is there already with Lucan (whom Lance is excited to have on the varsity team this year) and Val (whom Lance is not as excited about). Lance fits himself seamlessly into their conversation and feels pretty comfortable with them when Val comments: “Mama’s boy, eh?” and points to Lance’s food. Val is stuffing his face with fries and gravy, a disgusting sight. 

 

“I wish my mom made me lunch. The food here is atrocious.” Gwen comes out from nowhere and sits in between Val and Lance. She leans into Lance. (It’s no secret that Val’s had a crush on her (and Morgana) since third year, so Gwen uses her knowledge and power for good.) She sidles against Lance and asks for a bite of his apple. He obliges happily. Val doesn’t say a word after that. 

 

After lunch, Lance only has two classes: social studies and psychology. His last block is a spare which he must use to go talk to Coach Blanchmains. 

 

Social studies is interesting and Lance likes it. If the whole professional athlete thing falls through, he’d like a career in law. That’s mostly what he says whenever a relative asks about school. 

 

Psychology is different. He notices new people in his class and assumes they’re Darkling kids, or well…now they’re Camelot kids too. But they stand out. Lance sits somewhere in the middle of the classroom. Most of the jocks stay in the back but Lance actually thinks psychology is worth exploring so he’d like to hear the teacher. She makes them pair up with whoever is beside them and makes them introduce themselves. Lance dreads intros but he’s lucky because the guy beside him looks nice and normal. (Shit, Lance doesn’t really mean to think that. But…)

 

“I’m Merlin.”

 

“Lancelot.”

 

“So—“   “You’re—“ They say at the same time and then they share a laugh about it. Merlin waves his hand, gesturing for Lance to go first.

 

“So, how’re you finding Camelot Academy?” He asks.

 

Merlin shrugs, “I mean. It’s definitely bigger than Darkling. And more rules. Organized. But you guys seem nice. I just had biology before this with Mr. Gaius…” Merlin trails at the end, unsure.

 

“He’s ancient. But he’s patient with us. The only reason I passed bio last year was because I kept asking a million questions and he took his time explaining it. I mean, it kind of drags on, when he’s helping a set of students and the others just stand around with their microscopes, shooting the shit. But he’s good.”

 

Merlin nods, a smile stretching from his lips. “You’ve been here the whole time?”

 

“Yeah. It’s close to home, you know. I mean it’s expensive as all hell, but,” he shrugs, “athletically gifted…so…”

 

Merlin chuckles, “He really said that in his speech, huh?”

 

“It’s the same speech. For my seven years here. It’s the same speech.”

 

“It’s kind of crazy. My mom could only afford Darkling too but since we transferred here, all the seventh years are going to graduate as students of Camelot Academy. That’ll look good on an application.”

 

“So which one are you?”

 

Immediately, Merlin says: “Academically inclined.”

 

When psychology ends, Merlin tells Lance he’ll see him tomorrow and makes his way down the hall. Lance walks the other way to the coaches’ office. 

 

Coach Blanchmains is not there. So he walks across the quad and to the main gym where he finds her pulling out a crate of basketballs. 

 

“Coach!”

 

“Lancelot. Good. Just in time,” she says and gestures to the basketballs. “Make sure they’re good and bouncy, please and thank you.”

 

Lance sets his bag down by the wall and walks over to the middle of the gym where the balls are. He starts inspecting them.

 

Coach Isolde Blanchmains was an olympic basketball player who decided to settle down after her third Olympics and coach at Camelot Academy where she met the swim coach, Tristan, and they got married when Lance was in second year. 

 

“Look,” she says, pointing up at the rafters, where a new banner is hanging: their championship banner from last year. “Think we can get another one this year?” She asks cheekily. Lance can feel the pressure on his shoulders already but he doesn’t want to let her down, or let himself down. 

 

He nods. “Gonna try our hardest.”

 

She smiles at him, pats his back, “First thing first though. A new point guard.”

 

Here is Lance’s dilemma (and probably Coach’s too): Arthur Pendragon is a model point guard; he’s the fucking prodigy. And there’s no one on the team even close enough to replace him, not without a lot of extra hard work. There’s Lucan who is good but he’s not like, amazing (no offence). Lucan is good but he’s not first-five material (again, no offence). 

 

“Try outs are next week and I want you prepared, _captain_.” She says the last part with a wink. “Meanwhile, these balls need to be ready as if any of those junior varsity snots can handle them.” Lance laughs with her, the junior varsity team won last year too so they think they’re the shit now but most of them probably won’t make the varsity team. Lance knows she wants team chemistry more than just a team of egotistic ball players, no matter how good they are. “It’s your team, Lance.”

 

* * *

 

Basketball tryouts happen after school on Monday and Tuesday the following week. Then Coach cuts people. Those who make it have to come back Friday morning before school starts.

 

By Friday, the point guard position is narrowed down to two: Lucan and Mordred. Lucan is easy to play with but he’s a little hesitant with plays. The point guard sets up the play but Lucan is still playing like he’s in JV; unsure of what to do after he passes the ball. Mordred is different but isn’t any more dazzling. He’s impatient and tries to pass the ball to whomever he thinks is open regardless of the play. But they’re the only ones Lance has got. It’s going to take a lot of practice and hard work. On Friday, there’s twelve kids on the team. She splits them up 5-on-5 and has the other two tagging in when and where it’s necessary. She puts Mordred on Lance’s team first. Then switches when she sees that Mordred and Lance aren’t working. For now, she puts Lucan on the starting line up with Lance, Elyan, Val, and Percy. 

 

When practice ends, they head to the showers with twenty minutes left before first period starts. There’s only six stalls so they have to take turns. Lance is fine with going in the last group; Gwen’s going to catch him up for Chem anyways. 

 

Percy is there waiting with Lance, checking his phone. “Hey, what are your plans later?”

 

Lance shrugs; probably some homework, helping around the house. He’s got volunteer work down at the soup kitchen on Saturday morning so he isn’t keen on staying up too late, but that makes him sound like a loser so he says: “Not much, what’s up?”

 

“Welcome Week dorm party. You in? You can come meet our new roomies. Darkling kids are hardcore.”

 

Lance is probably not going to go but he nods anyway, “Sure, I’ll come by.”

 

“Sweet.” Percy says and then rattles the shower curtain in Elyan’s stall. “Hey, are you almost done? Do you just wanna share?”

 

“Fuck off, Perce!”

 

Percy and Lance start laughing until they’re in stitches. 

 

By the grace of the gods, Lance actually makes it in time for class. Gwen is there with a smirk on her face, “Thank god you showered or I’m going to have to ask for a new partner.”

 

Lance crinkles his nose at her, “It’s not that bad, is it?”

 

“Um, yes it is. Like, right after a game and Elyan tries to hug me? Disgusting. Ugh! Imagine if Val tries that shit this year. I’m going to gag. And it’s not going to be the way he likes.”

 

Lance chokes when she says that and the teacher sends them daggers. “Gwen!” He whines.

 

She pinches his cheek, “Oh Lancey. My innocent little lamb.”

 

He doesn’t end up going to the party that night. He texts Percy that his mom needs a lot of help but the truth is, Lance is in bed by nine. Which is early for a Friday but he’s going to have to wake up at five a.m. to catch the bus to the soup kitchen and start early.

 

Percy just sends back a frowny face and that’s that. He imagines it must be a fun party. Instagram is blowing up with #CAWWDP (wow, creative, Lance thinks) and scrolls through the pictures. Gwen has taken a selfie with her fellow cheerleaders. Percy has a picture of him and some guy Lance doesn’t know or recognize passed out on a couch and Percy making a face at the camera, presumably because he just drew a dick on the guy’s forehead. He fucks around on his phone for a while and then stops on a picture that Arthur has posted. He’s clad in Camelot U gold and varsity red and looks collegiate as fuck. He’s captioned it “proud of me yet?” and tagged the C on the jacket with a user called ‘dragonking’. Lance clicks on the name but the profile is private and the user picture is just a black and white picture of a papier-mache dragon. 

 

At ten, Lance shuts off his lamp and connects his phone to the charger and goes to sleep. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

He wakes up to the five a.m. alarm, pulls on a sweater and jeans and grabs his jacket just in case it rains. His mom’s still asleep and he leaves her a note that says “be back at 5”. He microwaves two pizza pops and his body is undecided whether to hate him or love him for it. Either way, he finishes them off and drinks milk. He grabs an empty water bottle and fills that up with water. He packs it into his backpack and heads for the bus stop, triple checking that he locked the front door. The bus comes at 5:53 instead of 6 which makes him glad he left the house earlier than he did. The next one isn’t until 6:30 which would make him late. 

 

Ms. Alice is there when he arrives. Here’s how it works: Ms. Alice, and Mr. Gaius (yeah, from school) start prepping the food at six, and Lance starts cooking when he comes in. He’s joined by Elena (who’s here on good will) and Vivian (who’s here serving a community service sentence, Lance hasn’t asked what for, but it really doesn’t matter). Lance cooks the vegetable soup and makes the fruit salad. Elena makes sandwiches and mashed potatoes. Vivian has to arrange the tables and clean them up after. There’s also Jones, who fries chicken and slow cooks the ham. Ms. Alice opens the doors at 7:30 a.m. sharp. 

 

There are familiar faces present when Lance serves them their food. Mr. Thompson who is probably fifty (a war veteran) has been coming here since last year. He hasn’t got anyone else in life and he can only find minimal work so he puts all his money into the small apartment he’s managed to rent. Sometimes food is hard to pay for so he comes in everyday. During the summer, when Lance volunteered here every day, he’d gotten to know Mr. Thompson better. 

 

There’s William, who is a runaway. There’s also Freya and her sister Sefa and (Lance can’t confirm this) but he’s pretty sure they work the streets at night. He gives them extra helpings all the time. 

 

During school, Lance comes in to help Saturdays and Sundays. On Wednesdays, when there’s no practice and if there’s not a game, he borrows Mr. Gaius’ car and drives around the city picking up the food bank donations. 

 

His mom says that he’s doing too much and now that it’s his last year at Camelot Academy, he should concentrate on schoolwork. But Lance doesn’t feel the same. Good grades are good but people look at the extracurriculars too. His mom just sighs and kisses his forehead, and whispers, “my heart.” 

 

When Ms. Alice tells him to take a break, Lance brings his backpack to the floor and sits down where Freya and Sefa are sitting. Elena passes him a sandwich and he eats it quietly with the girls. Lance is pretty certain the heating in the building is good so he raises an eyebrow when he notices that Freya’s shaking. Oh god, he thinks, he hopes it’s not drugs. As if she could read his mind, Freya looks up at him trying to placate him with a smile. Her lips tremble.

 

Oh shit.

 

“Are you okay?” He asks, whispering. Sometimes people hate it when you point out things. “Are you cold?”

 

Sefa moves closer, whispering too, “It’s just a cold.”

 

Lance wants to believe her but it looks like something more serious than that. Hypothermia or something.

 

“You sure? Well, here.” Lance reaches into his bag and pulls his jacket out and places it around Freya’s shoulders, urging her to put her arms into the sleeves. Eventually she does, with Sefa’s help. She smiles at him, this time it’s a deeper smile. “I’ll get you more soup.” He says and walks back to the kitchen. 

 

Vivian is there, on her phone. She doesn’t really mingle or anything. She sets up the plates and utensils and then waits until they’re done eating. He finds out she’s been watching him when she asks, “You in love with her? She’s a slut, you know.”

 

Lance’s hands clam up. (So the hooker thing may be a veritable thing, but that still doesn’t give Vivian the right to call her that.)

 

“She’s sick. I’m just trying to help.”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

Lance finds a thermos in the cupboards and hopes Ms. Alice doesn’t mind. If she does, he’ll just pay her back later. He ladles soup into it and grabs a couple of packets of crackers and a plastic spoon. He makes sure the cover is tight and then grabs another bowl to fill with soup. Vivian shakes her head at him when he leaves the kitchen. He pretends he doesn’t notice.

 

He puts the bowl in front of Freya and gives the thermos to Sefa, “For later, so it’s still warm,” he says. She smiles at him too, thanking him. 

 

If he scoots closer to give Freya some warmth, he thinks nothing of it. Before the girls leave, he asks Ms. Alice if she has Advil or something. Elena’s the one who ends up digging through her purse for it. He gives it to Freya who downs it with a glass of water. Lance sees them out of the soup kitchen. Freya stops to take off his jacket but he stops her. “Keep it. Please.”

 

She does and kisses his cheek in return. Sefa holds the thermos up, “Thanks again.” 

 

“See you guys tomorrow?”

 

Sefa hesitates but finally nods. Lance knows they’re not going to come tomorrow, but he hopes they do, he really does. 

 

At four, Lance and the girls are being rotated out for the dinner crew. Lance only really knows Kara; they started here together way back when. He says hi to her before he leaves for the day. 

 

Vivian has a car and doesn’t offer to drive anyone home. So she’s gone even before Lance and Elena have a chance to say “see you next Saturday”.

 

Elena is getting picked up by her dad. “You need a ride?” Lance says no; she lives on the other side of town, it would just be inconvenient. Besides, the bus comes at 4:20 and there’s still seven minutes. She waves goodbye as she gets into her dad’s car. 

 

The bus doesn’t come at 4:20. He waits until 4:30 and it’s still not there. Sometimes the buses never come; it’s really shitty but that’s why bus fare is so cheap. So Lance starts his walk home. It’s a 20-minute bus ride, so like, an hour walk. He’s an athlete; it’s not a hardship. He just wants to be home early so he can start on some of his other homework and prep for dinner. His mom’s shift is from 9-5 today so she’ll come home to the food and she’ll cook it. Meanwhile Lance will be down at the park five minutes away from their house working on his free throws.

 

“Sorry, the bus was late.” He puts his backpack in the closet when he comes in. He tidies his shoes against the wall. His mom waves him away.

 

“It’s okay,” she says, brandishing a couple of pre-made chicken packs. Fettucine alfredo with chicken is his favourite. The pasta is already boiling and the sauce is cooking.

 

“Go, go.” She says and Lance grabs his shoes again and an old basketball from the closet. 

 

“Be back in a bit.”

 

“Go!”

 

The park is not crowded; which is good. There’s not really a basketball court. There’s a blacktop with no lines and a basketball hoop. Which is enough to practice free throws and lay ups.  

 

As he shoots, every single shot going in, Lance’s mind is quiet. Nothing else running around there but the way he bends his knees, and the angle of his arms and the magic flick of his wrist. Basketball is peaceful to him. He doesn’t have to think about how his mom works herself ragged, or how much he wants to help Freya and Sefa but doesn’t know how to, or how much luckier Arthur is than him, if he’s going to have the same opportunities as Arthur, or how this season looks like it’s going to be fucking difficult. Basketball doesn’t even let him dwell on the fact that he’s figuring out that he likes other boys and that he hasn’t told him mom this, and what if he comes out and the boys ostracize him? What if he can’t have basketball and be himself at the same time?

 

Anyways, it doesn’t matter. Not right now. Not when he’s making fifty free throws in a row. All he has to think right now is “bend your knees, and flick your wrist.” 

 


	3. Chapter 3

The season doesn’t start until November but Coach wants a well-oiled machine of a team before it starts. The team has been formed since the second week of school but they still haven’t found their rhythm. Coach pulls Lance aside after Tuesday practice one day and tells him that they need a different strategy. She tells him that she’s demoting Lucan and Mordred and putting Lance as the starting point guard and if needed, she’ll sub him out for whoever is willing to play hard. There isn’t really anything he can do at this point; for the past practices, Lance has been giving Lucan and Mordred advice on how to play. Coach is there telling Lucan that ball movement is crucial but so is trying to open yourself up for the pass. She’s also there ragging Mordred on how to bounce pass when arms get in the way of a regular pass. All this, Lance knows but he still pats the two boys on the back when they do something good.

 

On Wednesday, Gwen holds him back to talk about their chemistry assignment which means he misses the early bus to the soup kitchen, which means he’s late to borrowing Mr. Gaius’ car, and that means he’s late to picking up the food donation boxes. There’s three places: the pharmacy at the mall, the children’s hospital, and the Pendragon Corporation building. For as long as Camelot has stood, it has always been riddled — okay, blessed— with the Pendragon name. Uther Pendragon’s renewable resources initiative was a vanguard in the renewable energy field. Lance doesn’t really know much about it but he knows that’s why Camelot Academy is so expensive, it runs on alternative energy more than non-renewable resources. Ygraine Pendragon, who died when Arthur was a kid, came from a wealthy family and when she moved to Camelot after marrying Uther, she was the founding mother of the children’s wing at the hospital, the very same one that collects food bank donations and gives back to the community. Arthur is their son; Arthur is Camelot’s son, and no one has anything bad to say about him. Maybe in his youth, when he was an arrogant little child, but he grew up well; he became more open-minded and inclusive in his circle of friends. It’s why no one hesitates to cheer him on. It’s why their support led the Academy to their championship. It’s why he got a full ride to Camelot University. If you ask Lance, he has nothing to do with that. If you ask Arthur (which he had been—by the school’s top journalist last year) Arthur will say Lance has about 80% to do with it.

 

Lance remembers reading it in the school gazette. Sophia, the doe-eyed pink cheeked journalist had asked: “Who do you attribute your success to?” which Arthur answered: “My parents, first and foremost. My friends, especially Lance, who taught me so many things growing up. He’s younger than I am, but he’s more mature, and selfless to a fault. He could’ve been the scoring leader this season, he’s the shooting guard, but somehow he always found a way to pass me the ball for the easy lay up, or the buzzer beater. He’s amazing; my brother Lance.”

 

Lance remembers hiding it under his mattress. And remembers Gwen kissing him the next day after everyone’s read it. He remembers feeling not-quite-right at the kiss. He remembers figuring out why it wasn’t quite right.

 

But they’re friends, him and Gwen, and it’s better than anything. He hasn’t told her outright but he suspects that she knows.

 

The pharmacy has only half-filled their box which is good enough for Lance; anything helps, he knows this first-hand. He still thanks Mr. Monmouth at the counter before he leaves. The children’s hospital box is way fuller and the help of one of the nurses is enlisted to get the box into the truck. Before he leaves though, he passes by Drea’s room.

 

“Your highness,” he greets her and she lights up where she’s lying in her bed, playing with her doll.

 

“Sir knight!” She greets him back, pointing the arm of her princess at him. He bows before her and makes his way to sit by her bed,

 

Drea is dying; this is no secret. But Lance keeps hoping it isn’t the truth.

 

“How are you today, princess?”

 

“Fighting fit, sir!” She talks through her doll, “We have slain many dragons today.”

 

“How many?”

 

She ponders and decides on “Five!”

 

He smiles at her, “Five is a big number. What else did you do today?”

 

Drea looks down at her lap, resigned. “We were given bad news by the royal physician.”

 

Lance tries hard not to say or do anything that’ll put her in an even worse mood. He doesn’t press for what the news is; he just reaches over and takes her hand.

 

“Hey, how about I visit you again when my season starts. Need my good luck charm, right?” Lance’s good luck charm is a kiss on the cheek from Drea. It doesn’t always work, but he doesn’t tell her this. When they lose, Lance says, “You’re still my good luck charm, I was just not that good today.” She always smiles back at him. “Next time, I’ll kiss your other cheek too.”

 

“Okay,” she says after. “When will your season start?”

 

“November.”

 

“Okay. I’ll still be here.” When she says it, Lance’s chest tightens and he bites his lip so as not to cry.  

 

“I’ll see you soon, princess.” He stands and hugs her carefully. He places a kiss on her head, the beanie in the way but it still counts.

 

When he drives down to the PenCorp building, the security guard lets him in and helps him heft the box into the bed of the truck and finally, Lance is heading back to the soup kitchen. He took a while at the hospital so the sun is already setting when he leaves PenCorp. He has to drive through downtown though which is a sketchy place in the afternoons, more so when the sun sets. He isn’t really paying attention to the sidewalks or the people walking but something catches his eye.

 

It’s Sefa, but more specifically, it’s Sefa trying to pull some drunken guy off of her sister. Lance quickly surveys the road and switches lanes to get to the parking lot by the building where Sefa and Freya are. He hopes he isn’t too late. He parks the truck, locks it twice just in case, and then walks back to where he saw them. He’s ready to fucking fight but when he gets there, the drunken guy is nowhere in sight and Sefa and Freya are talking to some guy Lance has never seen before. He’s got longish brown hair and a scruff Lance wishes he could grow himself. At first, Lance thinks he’s going to harass the girls too but then Sefa’s hugging the new guy and he’s wiping away tears from Freya’s eyes. Lance doesn’t move closer from where he is and they haven’t noticed him either. The guy helps Freya to her feet and then he’s taking a wad of cash from his back pocket and giving it to Sefa. Lance doesn’t hear what is being said between them but it doesn’t look like this guy has some malicious intent. After a while, the three of them walk the opposite way from where Lance is standing. After a while, Lance leaves too. A little in awe and a lot confused.

 

By the time he gets home, it’s already seven p.m. His mom has the graveyard shift so she isn’t going to come home until the morning. Lance heats up some food, dives into his homework, and just as a little treat, he turns on the TV and watches the Camelot University Golden Dragons take on the Mercia University Panthers. It’s only a preseason game, but the University broadcasts it so that people can support them even without going to see them live. It’s on the local news channel.

 

Lance can pick out Arthur easily. Number one jersey wearing bastard. Lance smiles at the way Arthur plays; he’s transitioned from high school varsity to collegiate real quick. He has no doubt that when Arthur is drafted professionally, he’ll have no troubles there too. During intermission, the camera pans across the gym, the cheerleaders, the marching band, and then fans on the bleachers banging their thunder sticks together and making wild faces with their red-and-gold painted faces. Lance laughs at the incredulity. Then the camera zooms into the fans and Lance almost falls off the couch.

 

Merlin’s on TV with a “1” painted on his face. Lance laughs; he’s definitely going to give Merlin shit about this when he sees him in psychology tomorrow.

 

The game ends 119-93 for the Golden Dragons. Arthur’s stats of the game are projected onto the screen. Points: 36, Assists: 20, Rebounds: 6, Steals: 13. It looks like a great night for Arthur. After the game, Lance showers and then goes straight to bed.

 

The next day, his classes go by fast, in a blur, as all high school senior classes go, and then finally it’s psychology.

 

Lance leans over to Merlin and teases, “You got paint on your face.” Merlin jerks, arm going to his face and scrubbing. Lance chuckles, “I’m kidding. You’re fine. You went to see the Golden Dragons last night. Saw you on TV.”

 

Merlin balks a little, “Oh…so you saw…my…”

 

“I mean, it’s not like you’re the only one cheering for Arthur Pendragon. If I could go to the games, I’d probably paint my whole face you know.”

 

“Yeah,” Merlin says distractedly, “He was really good last night.”

 

Before Lance can comment further, the teacher walks in and starts taking attendance. They don’t get to chat again until after because the class is lecture heavy. And even after the class is done, Merlin excuses himself suspiciously quickly. But Lance doesn’t think anything about it. Judge not, he always says.

  



	4. Chapter 4

On Friday morning, Coach tells him that Lucan is quitting the team because he can’t balance basketball with his new found love of swimming and with classes on top of that and Mordred is joining the drama club instead. It isn’t a great loss in terms of talent (no offence), but now they really have to find an actual point guard.

 

After practice, Percy tells him that him and Elyan and their new roommates are going to binge watch horror movies in celebration of October and that he should come along. This time, Percy doesn’t take no for an answer and actually skips his last class so he can make sure Lance doesn’t bail on them. They wait for Elyan and then head to the dorms. Percy and Elyan have been sharing a room since fourth year and Lance hasn’t actually visited them since last June before they all went off for the summer.

 

It’s still a goddamn mess, with the addition of more messes due to their new roommates.

 

“Oh shit,” Percy cusses, and quickly removes the underwear (Lance doesn’t want to know whose it is) from where it was sitting on top of the lamp. “Ambiance.”

 

Lance shakes his head, “Gross, dude.”

 

“It’s clean!”

 

Percy shucks it onto his bed; this year he gets the bottom bunk.

 

“So, pizza? Pasta? Some weird meatloaf Gwen made for Elyan? What’re you in the mood for?” Lance goes with the pasta. He has to wash a bowl to eat in one or else he’s eating it off the non microwavable to-go container.

 

“So where’s your new roomies?” Elyan pokes his head into the tiny living room from the tiny kitchen. “ETA five minutes. They’re picking up the wings and the booze.”

  


“What?” Lance squawks.

 

Elyan laughs at him. Dick.

 

“Kidding. Just some ginger ale.”

 

“Better be.”

 

Five minutes later, (at least they’re punctual), two guys come stumbling into the dorm room with a whole box of chicken wings and ginger ale in six packs.

 

Lance looks up from where he’s seated on the couch to greet them.

 

“Hey, I’m Edwin,” the guy with the blonde or maybe red hair says. He puts the chicken wings on the coffee table (but it’s really just the foot rest for the reclining chair).

 

“And I, more importantly, am Gwaine.” The second guy says and holy shit. This guy is the guy Lance saw the other day with Sefa and Freya, the guy who was hugging Sefa, who was wiping away Freya’s tears. Who the fuck is this guy?

 

The only things that Lance learns about Gwaine is that he is scared shitless of horror movies, he hogs the popcorn bowl, and he’s really fucking warm. Somehow, Gwaine ends up next to Lance on the couch because everyone kept shuffling around when they got up to get food or pee. They’re half way through The Orphanage when Gwaine shakes Percy’s leg.

 

“Can we just please watch Nightmare Before Christmas?” Gwaine whines, his other hand covering his eyes.

 

“Seriously? Are you serious?!” Percy’s laughter booms but no one is actually opposing Gwaine’s idea. Percy looks around at them incredulously, “Guys? Seriously?!”

 

Heads nod.

 

“Yes! Suck it, Perce!” Gwaine cheers; pulling cushions off the couch to find the remote and finds it under Percy’s ass. He stops the movie immediately.

 

“This isn’t a Halloween movie.” Percy complains but the rest of the guys don’t share his sentiments.

 

“You can go out and take a walk or something,” Elyan suggests but Percy just gives him a mocking face.

 

“You know what, I will.” Percy gets up from the couch, shoves Gwaine into it, and opens the closet to grab their basketball.

 

Gwaine groans, “Aren’t you tired of that yet?” He gestures to the basketball. Lance is personally offended by it but he doesn’t say anything because Percy and Elyan are just laughing at him.

 

Elyan gets up too and Lance doesn’t know what else to do so he follows suit. Gwaine looks at them in turns. “Ah, the varsity team.”

 

“Oh, basketball.” Edwin says and immediately leaves the room. Gwaine salutes him out, “He’s more of a soccer nerd, so.” He says in way of explanation.

 

“Should we go to the park?” Elyan asks, grabbing his jacket from the closet.

 

Before Percy and Lance can nod, Gwaine interjects again: “It’s cold out. We could sneak into the gym.”

 

“We?” “Sneak?” “Gym?”

 

Gwaine stares at all three of them as they speak over each other.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Uh, this isn’t Darkling, dude. We can get into serious trouble. They can kick us off the team. Or we could get expelled.”

 

“Geez, El. It was only an idea.”

 

“A stupid one!”

 

Gwaine puts his hands up in defeat. “Okay, well, I’m going to be here watching Nightmare Before Christmas. Have fun shooting dunks or whatever.” He grabs the cushions again, and the popcorn bowl.

 

“Don’t pretend you weren’t being scouted for the pros, you dick. Whatever. See you later.”

 

Lance almost isn’t paying attention but Percy’s sentence jolts him into reality.

 

Here’s another thing Lance learns about Gwaine: he was being scouted for the pros.

 

And from his stature, Lance can guess Gwaine plays the position Lance needs so desperately to be filled: point guard.

 

Lance’s mission (self-appointed) is to get Gwaine to play varsity basketball. It’s not an easy task.

 

Lance sees Gwaine on the Monday after their first encounter. Lance tried going to the dorm the days before but he somehow always managed to miss Gwaine. Edwin was there and just shrugged when Lance asked. So it is fortuitous that Lance finds Gwaine walking out of Mr. Gaius’ classroom right after basketball practice. Lance had stayed behind to brief Coach Izzy about his mission to which she replied: “You sure about this?” Lance is very sure about this. She gave him a nod and that was enough.

 

“Hey!” Lance shouts from across the hall and then hunches in on himself, ashamed. Dr. K has a big thing about inside voices even though his voice booms so loudly sometimes that Lance doesn’t understand why he even uses microphones or bullhorns during assemblies.

 

Gwaine turns around to salute him but he keeps walking so Lance picks up his pace, nearly jogging to get to Gwaine.

 

“Gwaine.” Lance says in a more normal pitch this time.

 

“That’s me.”

 

“Hey so, I heard you play ball. The team needs a point guard. You up for it?” In retrospect, Lance should have maybe studied his intended target better. Gwaine glares daggers at him, and then his face changes into a huge smile. For a second, Lance thinks every problem he has is now solved. But then Gwaine laughs, actually fucking hollers and claps Lance on the shoulder.

 

It goes on for a good minute.

 

Then he stops laughing, faces Lance sincerely, and says, “Naw.”

 

Okay.

 

That isn’t what Lance expected to hear. In fact, he prayed for the complete opposite. But he isn’t going to quit so easily.

 

“Please?” He adds, and there’s this second where he thinks that that gets Gwaine. A bit of apprehension crosses Gwaine’s face before it is gone.

 

“I can’t, man. I’m sorry. Good luck though.” The worst part about it is how genuine Gwaine is.

 

Lance is left standing there, muttering “…thanks…” even after Gwaine’s already left.

 

So, mission…not failed. Mission…in progress.

 

There is something Lance should know and find out. Why was Gwaine getting scouted for the pros and more importantly, why wasn’t he playing anymore? One viable hypothesis is this: injury. Gwaine is injured. It’s the only hypothesis Lance has at the moment so he sticks by it. Some sleuthing is required to make the hypothesis a theory. So he enlists Gwen to help him.

 

“This isn’t some weird creepy stalker thing, is it?” She asks and he shakes his head vehemently. She still side-eyes him though.

 

They find out through the grapevines (Gwen’s cheerleaders) certain things about Gwaine. Gwen shoves her phone at his face so he can read through the “The Real MVPs” chat group.

 

Gwen: _hey whats the deal with that super hot mysterious guy in bio?_

Ash: _gwaine? the guy with the hair, yeah? the scruff?_

Gwen: _yesss_

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Nia: _hes a solid 9_

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Ash: _like can he have my babies pls_

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Nia: _ash! i called dibs!_

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Gwen: _girls…pls…_

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Shay: _did some digging…he’s a senior. darkling prep. orphan._

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Belle: _awww_

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Gwen: _interesting_

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Jaq: _omg hes like so funny. hes on the track team…or like hes gonna try out_

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Gwen: _u talked to him?_

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Jaq: _yeah during lunch._

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Jaq: _k well he wasn't at lunch but i saw him heading out for lunch and asked where he was going_

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Jaq: _he said I'm gonna go for a run, try to keep the temple holy_

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Jaq: _like hahahah hes hilarious_

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Nia: _jaq! dibs!_

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Gwen: _so hes an athlete?_

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Ash: _yesss we get to cheer for him when track starts!!!_

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Shay: _he used to play b-ball too at dp_

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Belle: _hes also def friends w that merlin kid…i saw them hanging out last night at the suns_

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Gwen: _oh thats great_

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Nia: _gwennie pls! i called dibs!_

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Gwen: _no dating athletes nia. thats the rule_

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Lance smiles back up at Gwen after he’s read the whole (relevant) exchange between the girls. And it’s true: they are the real MVPs.

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“Should I talk to Merlin about Gwaine or is that nosy and none of my business?” Gwen shrugs at him.

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“Maybe casually. Like, oh hey do you have other friends I’d love to meet them. Something like that.”

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Lance nods his gratitude.

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	5. Chapter 5

The next time in psychology, Lance briefly asks Merlin if he wants to hang out after class.

 

They end up hanging out by the swimming pool, the area right outside the glass windows where people can study but also look at the swimmers. There’s a free table when they get there and they snatch it up snappily before anyone else takes it.

 

Lance takes out some snacks from his backpack and shares it with Merlin while they watch Coach Tristan hound the swimmers about their forms and whatnot.

 

“I used to swim when I was younger but I stopped,” Merlin tells Lance as he rattles the Nerds candy box into his hand.

 

“Oh, why?” Lance asks but Merlin just shrugs.

 

The silence gets kind of awkward so Lance jumps in with his pre-planned: “Do you hang out with anyone else from Darkling or here or…?”

Merlin glares at him, “Oh right just ‘cause I’m a huge nerd that means I can’t have friends.”

Great, Lance groans internally. “No! Sorry, that’s not what I meant…”

“I was kidding!” Merlin says, laughing at Lance. “Um, I’m friends with Gwaine. Do you know him? I think he knows your teammates.”

“They’re roommates.”

“Oh, cool. Yeah. We don’t hang out a lot anymore because…um…” Merlin hesitates and Lance wants to prod but he fears it might make Merlin retract more so he just lets Merlin divert. 

“Anyways, I mean we still go out,” he puts his hands up, “not like that though. I mean we hang out. At that coffee shop, The Sun’s. They have really cheap addictive coffee.”

“Do you mind if I…you know, tag along with you when you go out next time?” Lance says (definitely not a pre-planned sentence) but he waits for Merlin’s response.

“Uh…I…don’t know. I should probably ask Gwaine. He’s usually really busy. School and work and stuff. Me too.”

Lance feels his cheeks burning up from embarrassment. Yikes, what is he? Fourteen again? Geez.

“But, I can text you next time we hang out if Gwaine says it’s okay.”

Lance can breathe again. “Sounds good.”

They watch the swim team for ten more minutes and Lance decides it was a good thing that Lucan joined the swim team instead because he was definitely better at swimming than basketball.

Saturday rolls around again and Lance does as he always does.

When he gets to the soup kitchen, he is greeted by everyone already there. It seems like any other Saturday except when Freya and Sefa finally come in, Sefa’s cradling her face like it hurts. Alice notices right away and sends someone to get the first aid kit. Sefa’s not bleeding or anything but the purple green on her face suggests anything but good things. People start crowding around her which makes her cry so Alice tells them to back off. She calls Lance over though because she knows she can trust him and Sefa nods when he approaches.

“Come here, dearie.” Alice cracks the ice pack so that it can work its magic and places it gingerly against Sefa’s face. She doesn’t ask what happened. She knows from experience it’s better to just deal with it than ask and risk Sefa not coming back because they’ve started to get nosy about what Sefa and Freya are up to.

When Sefa’s calmed down, Lance brings them their food, still hot, and watches as Freya helps Sefa eat her food. 

When Alice has left them alone, just the three of them, Freya meekly shuffles closer to Lance.

“I know what you must think of us…” She starts and Lance is ready to interject that he doesn’t actually think anything malicious about them but he can see that interrupting her isn’t a good idea, so he nods and lets her go on.

“We’re just trying to get through life…I know what Viv says about us. We used to be friends when we were kids. Lance, please. It’s not what you think. I mean, yeah we do that, at night, but we’re really trying not to. Like last night. We weren’t going to go out and do that but one of the guys who Sefa saw before saw us and tried to make her do it. We said no and kept trying to get away but he grabbed her back and slapped her so hard. Lance, please. You’re one of the good guys right? Please don’t listen to Vivian.”

She ends up crying in his arms and Lance sits there quietly, assuring her that he’s never thought about them like that. He tells her that he knows sometimes people have to do things to survive. Lance remembers being thirteen and watching his mom contemplate doing something more dangerous than working the job she has now. He remembers watching her cry because she couldn’t do it, couldn't give Lance a better life.

“It’s okay. I promise.” He repeats now what he said to his mother before. “Freya, it’s okay.”

On Sunday, he visits Drea again. Well he tries to but the doctor says it isn’t a good day and so Lance just tells him that he has some flowers for her and the doctor promises to put it in a vase and place it next to Drea’s bed. That’s all he can do today and hopes it’s enough. He comes home earlier and is ecstatic to see that his mom is there and she’s prepared the table for them.  

“Hey, baby, how was your day?” She arches her eyebrow at him. 

“It was good, mom. Drea was sick today so I couldn’t see her but it was fine. I left some flowers for her.”

Lance’s mom’s smile disappears at the news but she puts it on again as if to reassure Lance that everything is okay.

He doesn’t tell her about Sefa and Freya but inquires after her day instead. She complains good-heartedly about some of the people at work but other than that, there’s really nothing new. When they’re done eating, Lance opts going to bed instead of down to the park to work on his game. He pulls out his phone and charges it. He’s about to just let it be and go straight to sleep when he notices the text message he hasn’t opened yet. From Merlin.

Lance finally cracks a genuine smile, forgetting his exhaustion in favour of excitement.

The text says: is tmrw after ur practice ok? 

He texts back: definitely.

So Monday is decidedly as blue as always. Practice is tiring but keeps Lance on his toes. He’s been filling the point guard spot so well but still imagining what the line would look like if Gwaine was playing, if Gwaine would finally accept Lance’s proposition to play for them.

Finally, practice is over and Lance heads to the showers then whizzes past his teammates to get to The Sun’s.

It isn’t packed but there’s only a couple of free tables. He has no idea if Merlin’s already here or not but surprisingly, he spots Gwaine. Gwaine is at the counter, working.

So here is what Lance knows: Gwaine plays (played?) basketball. He’s an orphan. He’s trying out for track (?). He’s friends with Merlin. And he works at The Sun’s. 

Lance finds Merlin at the corner booth before he decides whether to go up to the counter or not. He excuses himself as he walks through the already occupied tables and greets Merlin warmly as he sits down across from him.

“I didn’t know Gwaine worked here.”

Merlin looks over his shoulder, shaking his head as Gwaine blatantly flirted with the customers. “Here and the sporting goods store down by Darkling.”

Lance mentally adds that to his list. 

“Cool. So what’d you order?”

Merlin is typing something on his phone and seems distracted to Lance just awkwardly sits there. When Merlin still doesn’t look up, Lance reaches over with his hand to try to tap Merlin but he clamps down on Merlin’s hand instead and for what reason, Lance doesn’t know, and Merlin’s eyes snap up at him immediately. They’re suddenly stuck in a collective arrest.

“You know Merlin has a boyfriend, right?” Comes Gwaine’s voice.

Merlin groans and Lance quickly snatches his hand back. Merlin glares up at Gwaine, “Can you not announce it to the world please?”

“Why not? Is lover boy not worthy enough? Hey world, Merlin’s dating A-!” Gwaine’s increasing pitch is cut abruptly as Merlin punches him in the thigh.

“Shut up, Gwaine!” Merlin hisses.

Gwaine laughs at him and then turns his head towards Lance. Lance, who is still possibly catatonic from moments ago has not yet recovered enough to not blush from how Gwaine is staring at him so intensely.

The little smirk from Gwaine finally snaps Lance out from whatever weird trance he was in.

“I wasn’t…” he starts stuttering, but then loses his words anyways.

“Relax. I was just kidding. I mean, he does have a boyfriend, that’s true. But I wasn’t accusing you of seducing him or anything.”

“I wasn’t…” Lance tries again.

Gwaine smiles, “What are you doing here? Trying to recruit me again?” He waggles his eyebrows at Lance and geez if Lance isn’t already embarrassed, he wants the earth to swallow him whole and never spit him back out again now.

Before Lance can stutter out some words he’s not ready to say, Gwaine ushers him over so that he can sit beside him. Why he doesn’t sit beside Merlin is a mystery to Lance and will need further investigating…at a later time when he tells Gwen. Oh fuck, Lance thinks, he should probably come out to Gwen first and then tell her about this weird budding crush…Crush?!…on…Gwaine…? Fuck.

Lance is ready to slam his head on the table.

“Merlin,” Gwaine cajoles and tuts at Merlin for ignoring them. “Oh, god. Just go. Just go meet Adonis.” Merlin looks up and has a guilty look on his face. But he’s collecting his bag and drinking the last of his coffee so Lance takes a guess that Merlin’s isn’t all consumed by his guilt.  

“Bye, sorry!”

When Merlin leaves, Gwaine sighs deeply and dramatically beside Lance.

“Now that that is over, what can I do for you, Mr. Lancelot? Don’t order things though, my shift is over.”

Lance finds himself smiling. And then wondering why Gwaine hasn’t moved across from him yet, still sitting beside him.

“I, uh, you’re right.” He affirms, “I was going to ask you to join the team again.”

Gwaine stares at him, “You won’t take no for an answer.”

Lance feels so guilty, “I mean, if you really don’t want to then I can’t change your mind. But listen.” Cards on the table. “I want this team to be the best. Not just ‘cause I’ve got a lot riding on it. I mean, Dr. K and Coach want me to lead this team for a repeat. Do you know the pressure I’m under? So yeah, I know you were being scouted so you must at least be better than most people. You probably don’t suck, at the very least. I want you on the team. We desperately need a point guard. That’s your position, right?”

Lance is shocked to see that Gwaine’s face is serious, and seriously contemplating his proposal this time. 

“First of all, I know pressure; I’ve thrived under pressure before and failed too. Second, I suck. Not at basketball. At other…you know…that’s besides the point. Third of all. You’re right. I did play point guard.”

Lance nods, “Is that a yes?” Gwaine shakes his head.

Lance sighs, and puts his game face on. He is not backing down or giving up. “What will it take for you to play for the team. Name it. Anything.”

The answer blindsides Lance. And then, shamefully, kind of turns him on a little.

“You and me, one-on-one. Beat me and I’ll play. Lose and I won’t.”  

“Name the time and place,” Lance challenges. 

“Sunday. At the gym.”

Lance shakes his head, “It’s not open.”

“Not yours. Camelot U. I’ll get us in. Just be there. Six p.m.”

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

The following weekend, Mr. Gaius tells Lance that he can leave the boxes and pick them up next week instead because he’s positive that they haven’t been filled yet, and what they have at the kitchen will be enough to tide them over for another week. Which is great because then Lance can prepare for his one-one-on-one against Gwaine. He hasn’t told anyone about the challenge yet just in case he fucks up. He doesn’t want anyone to be hopeful. He hasn’t told Gwen or his mom or anyone. Which means that he needs to figure out how to get to Camelot University by himself. Taking a cab is out of the question, the fare would be too much. Asking for Mr. Gaius’ truck seems impolite. So there’s only one solution: the fucking bus.

Lance gets to the bus stop at 4:50 in time to catch the 5:00 bus. He can see it coming down the road when his phone rings. He raises an eyebrow and answers the phone as quickly as he can/ The bus stops where it is intended but Lance ends up waving at the driver to drive past him. The driver shrugs his shoulders and moves on to keep on schedule. Lance doesn’t know how because he can’t really remember but he immediately walks to the other side of the road to wait for the bus going back up town to the hospital instead of down to the university.

Getting on the bus, off the bus, and walking inside the hospital, across and up to the children’s wing is mechanical. He finds Drea’s room. He finds his mom there. He finds warmth and solace in her embrace as he listens when the doctor says that Drea had a really bad night, “we thought we were going to lose her but she’s still fighting.”

Lance doesn’t want to leave for the night or the morning after so he gets his mom to call the academy to excuse him. He texts Coach Izzy to tell her, and she responds kindheartedly to the situation. His mom leaves for work though, and the doctors let Lance into the room so that he can sleep on the cot there. In the morning, he asks one of the nurses if he can borrow a phone charger. She brings it for him with a smile on her face and pity in her eyes.

Drea’s still sleeping. The clock says it is eight in the morning. When his phone finally comes back to life, there’s a barrage of messages from various people.

Gwen’s messages are five iterations of “are you okay?” and “where are you?”

Elyan and Percy ask if he knows the reason Coach cancelled practice.

Merlin’s message says: _Gwaine asked for your number. Sorry_

And then the rest of the messages are from Gwaine.

_Im here and ur not_

_Still here…did you get lost or something?_

_I guess this is u surrendering…hahahaa_

_Shit. That sounded awful. Seriously where r u?_

_U didn’t get kidnapped did u?_

_Fuck._

_Sorry._

_Lance, I’m serious_

_Can u just text me back pls_

_Lets just forget abt this thing_

Lance doesn’t really know what it is that makes his cry. Drea. Gwen. Gwaine. Expectations and pressures. The life of this precious little girl. This secret he’s been harboring. This bet between him and Gwaine. Everything and nothing. Basketball. Life in general.

In that moment, it’s just all too much for him and he ends up breaking down in the hospital room. He comes back to reality and realizes that one of the nurses is shushing him and patting his back.

She says, “It’s just a panic attack, hun. It’s okay, just breathe.”

He tries but if feels like the weight against his chest is expanding, like there’s not enough air in the room. His hands are shaking. There’s pain running through his legs. And the tears won’t stop.

Breathe. Just breathe.

He tries and succeeds. Soon, he’s breathing normally again and the pain in his legs is subsiding. His hands stop shaking too. The nurse gives him a box of tissues and a cup of water after.

Drea’s condition stabilizes but she still doesn’t wake up. Lance spends the whole day watching her breathe, and pretends like he doesn’t have to answer the text messages he got. Eventually though, he realizes he has to.

He sends Gwen reassurances. He tells Percy and Elyan that it’s nothing bad. He sends Merlin the poop emoji.

He takes a little longer to reply to Gwaine’s string of messages. Finally, he settles on: _sorry, couldn’t make it. Reschedule? Please?_

It’s vague, he knows, but it’s the best he can do right now. It doesn’t take long for any of them to reply back, but the one he’s really interested in is Gwaine’s response which, after an hour wait, still hasn’t come.

 

 


End file.
